Closure cap for containers



Nov. 9 1926.

-' W. P. COHOE CLOSURE CAP FOR CONTAINERS Filed May 26. 1924 f ilNVEZTOR I BY I ATTORNEYQ Patented Nov. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALLACE P. COHOE, OF RIVERDALE-ON-THE-HUDSON. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO NELSON B. WILLIAMS, E BEDIFORD, NEW YORK.

CLOSURE CAP FOR CONTAINERS.

Application filed May 26,

This invention relates to a closure cap for the opening of a container such as a milk bottle and the general object is to provide such a cap together with novel means for securing the cap in place closing the opening.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a band for holding a closure in place which is of such a character that it may loosely be placed in position and will then contract to draw the closure tightly over the opening while at the same time the band becomes stiff, so that it cannot easily be replaced after once being removed, thus rendering it extremely diflicult-tor the closure to be removed and access had to the contents of the container without leaving traces of such removal and access.

Another object of the invention is to provide a band of the above mentioned type which upon treatment. may be rendered so hard that it is impossible to remove the band or closure without breaking the hand which when once broken cannot again be made whole, thus serving both as a means for 5 rigidly securing the closure in place and as a seal.

A further object of the invention is to provide a band for securing a closure in place on the neck of the bottle or other con- 50 tainer which band is flexible at the time it is applied so that it may easily be put in place by machinery but which thereafter contracts and becomes still to firmly secure the cap in place.

A. still further object of the invention is to disclose a process by which closure caps may easily, quickly and cheaply be applied to containers and sealed in place.

Although'the invention maybe used in connection with any suitable container. it

will be described in its relation to the closin; and sealing of milk bottle. It is highly desirable to the consumer of milk to know that the contents of the bottle have not been tampered with between the time that it is bottled and the time that the bottle is opened by the consumer. This is especially true when the consumer buys a high grade of tested milk, such as is used for the feeding of children.

In accordance with my invention I use a so called cover-all cap which has a. central portion to close the opening and a peripheral 1924. Serial No. 715,792.

portion which extends down along the neck of the bottle or the flange which stands up from the body around the opening of the usual container. To secure the cap in place I use a band of material impregnated with an aqueous cellulose solution that has been. coagulated. I have discovered that it" a band of material, such as a cord, is impregnated with the cellulose solution and then while wet tied around the peripheral portion of the cap and then allowed to dry, the band contracts as it drys so that it draws the closure tightly over the opening .and presses the peripheral portion of the closure against the neck of the bottle there by holding the closure in the desired .posi- '70 1 tion closing the opening. In addition to contracting as itdrys the cellulose solution also causes the band or cord to become stifl' I so that it cannot readily be removed. If the cord be tied around the closure, and then the cord be cut close to the knot formed when the cord is tied, it is extremely difficult for the knot to be untied and then retied due to the stifl'ness of the cord and fact that when it is in place around the cap it is tightly contracted and under appreciable tension. I have also found that if, after the band or cord has dried, heat is applied thereto, the band becomes very hard; if the heat be applied locally to the knot it is practically impossible to untie the knot and if the cord be cut it is impossible to rejoin the parts. Thus the closure is not only firmly held in place on the container but it is sealed in place by the band and may not be removed and replaced without destroying said band. i

In developing the invention and applying it in a commercial way to the closing and sealing of milk bottles, I have found that the cord when freshly wet and flexible may be tied around the cap by one of the usual tying machines and upon drying the cord will contract to draw the closure tightly in place thus over-coming the obstacle which has heretofore prevented the use of tying machines for capping of milk bottles,namely that the tying machine is not able to draw the cord around the cap and then tie it tightly enough to provide a satisfactory closure. By the use of a cord once impregnated with the aqueous cellulose solution and kept flexible, the tying machine may be used, and although the cap is tied in place rather loosely the contracting cord will draw the cap tightly in place and firmly secure it there. Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and accompanying drawing and will be practically pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate the invention applied to closure for a milk bottle and emody the broad principles thereof.

extreme In the drawings:

The figure represents the upper end of the mouth of a milk bottle provided with a cover-all cap and the cellulose impregnated band which is used to hold the cap in place.

As illustrated herein 1 represents the upper end of the neck or mouth of a milk bottle of the usual construction having an upstanding flange'2. The cover-all cap shown has a central portion 3 which extends entirely across and covers the opening of the bottle and'a peripheral portion 4 which extendsrdown along the flange. To secure the cap; in place-aband or cord 5 impregnated with. an aqueous cellulose solution that has 3 0 beencoagulated is. tied around the peripheral portion 4 of the cap and presses said pe ripheral portion against the outer" wall of.

the container thereby to secure the closure inv place. The knot formed by. the tying of the cord is designated at 6 and preferably the cord. is cut off at 7 close to the knot, so that onl short ends are left which make it difficult to. retie" the knot after. it

has once been untied;

As above mentioned the band'or cord 5 is impregnated with an aqueous cellulose-solm tion WhiCllllPOH' drying causes the cord to contract and also to become stifl". Although various forms of aqueous cellulose may be used I have found that cellulose thiocarbonate, commonly called viscose, is asubstance Well adapted for the purpose of this invention as it is cheap and easily prepared. If such a. solution'be used and a cord impregnated with it, the cord may easily be tied around the neck of the bottlewhen wet,

' but as it dries it contracts thereby drawing the closure firmly in position ofclosing the opening and finally upon complete drying becomes stiff, so that it cannot readily be tied or untiecL; Furthermore, it the band impregnated with the thiocarbonate be heated to a-temperature-of approximately C. to 0., it becomesvery hard so that it is impossible-to untie or tie'the cord particularly as the endsof the cord are desir ably out quite close to the knot; In order toremove the cap therefore. it is necessary to break the cord and for this reason the cord is an effective seal for sealing the closure on the container.

container. around the closure, heat needonly be applied torthe: knot which becomesiso"hard that it is In capping and sealing milk bottles or other containers which have an upstanding flange around the opening of container. I provide a closure having a central portion of an area sufficient to cover the opening and a peripheral portion which is long enough to extend a sulficient distance along the neck of the bottle or the flange to allow the cord firmly to grip said peripheral portion. The caps or closures are put in place and then a cord or band of material wet with the aqueous cellulose solution is placed around the peripheral portion of each closure. Where large numbers of containers are capped as in the milk bottling room of a dairy cords l are preferably used and tied around the bottle caps by tying machines in order to consume no more time than necessary in the capping operation. The capped and tied containers are then. placed in some convenl ient room where the cellulosesolution may dry in the bands thereby causing the bands to shrink and grip the closure on the container. Thereafter, if desired the bands may be heated to a temperature of approximately100 to 130 C. torenderthe bands hard so that the closure is effectively sealed on the If a. cordilis used and is tied impossible to untie it, thusefl'ectively seal- "ing the cap on the "container; The'parts of cannot be rejoined the closure after having once been removedcannot be replaced. and I then rescaled with the same band. I Although a particulanform of the invention and one of the methodsof using ithave been disclosed, it is obvious that many changes may be madeand it is therefore de- 3 sired that the invention be construed as broadly as the limitations in the "claims taken; in conjunction with the prior. art may allow;

.I claim; 1

1. The combination with a container having an opening therein and an upstanding flange around said opening, of a closure clos-' ing' the opening and having a peripheral portion extending along said flange, and a 1 band of material impregnated with anaque ous cellulose solution that has been'coagulated surrounding said peripheral portions of the closure to'press said portions toward the flange to hold the closure on the con- 1 tamer.

2. The combination with a container having an opening therein and an upstanding portion extending along said flange, and a band of material impregnated with an aqueous cellulose solution that has been rendered partially anhydrous and still in character surrounding said peripheral portions of the closure firmly to hold said portions against the flange.v j

3.*The combination with a container having an opening therein and an upstanding flange around said opening, of a closure closing the opening andhaving a peripheral portion extending along said flange and a I hand of material impregnated with an aqueous cellulose solution that has been rendered partially anhydrous and non-extensible when wetted, surrounding and pressing said peripheral portions of the closure against the flange to seal the closure on the container.

4. The combination with a container having an opening therein and an upstanding flange around said opening, of a closure closing the opening and; having a peripheral portion extending along said flange and a band of material impregnated with a viscose solution that has rendered said band rigid surrounding and firmly holding said peripheral portion of the closure against the flange to hold and seal the closure on the container.

5. The combination with a container having an opening therein and an upstanding flange around said opening, ofa closure closing the opening and having a peripheral portion extending along said. flange and a:

band of material impregnated; with an aque-:- ous cellulose solution that has been rendered hard, so that the parts ofthe. band are in.'

capable of being rejoined after oncebroken; said band firmly pressing said peripheral. portion'against the flange to hold the closure on the container and-render the closure'dm. capable of being secured in place'wwithithe flange around said opening, of :r-closure closing p ing and having-ta? peripheral portion extending. ah id., -1. a

eral portion of the 'closure-to-"grip' sald rrpheral portion against the flange?- i 7. The combination with a container hav ing an opening therein and an upstanding flange around said openlng, of a closure clos ng the opening and having a peripheral portion extending along said flange anda band of'cellulose impregnated material that has been shrunk to grip said peripheral portion against the flange and rendered nonextensible surrounding said peripheral portions to seal the closure on the container.

8. The process of closing an opening in the container having an upstanding flange.

around the opening, which comprises proaround the neck of the bottle, and a viding a closure having a central portion to cover the opening and a peripheral portion to extend along said flange, and also providing a cord wet with aqueous cellulose solution that has been coagulated, said cord being of suflicient length to tie around the peripheral portion of the cover when on'the flange, placing the closure in position closing the opening with the peripheral portion extending along the flange, tying the said cord around the peripheral ortion of the closure and drying the cor to render it stifl'.

9. The process of closing the opening in a container having an upstanding flange around the opening, which comprises-pro,

.viding a closure having a central portion to cover the opening and a flexible peripheral portion to extend along said flange, and also providing acord wet with aqueous cellulose solution that has been coagulated, said cord being of sufficient length to tie around the portions of the cover when on the flange, placing a closure in position closing the opening with a peripheral portion adjacent the flange, tying the wet cord around the peripheral portion of the closure and" drying the cord to shrink it, thereby causing the peripheral portion of the closure to be pressed against the flange and to render the cord stifl thereby firmly holding the closure-on the container,

10. The process of closing the opening in container 'having ,.an' upstanding flange around the openingwhich comprises providing-a closure having a central portion to cover the opening: and a peripheral portion to extend along said flange, and also providing a cord wet with an aqueous cellulose-solution'that has been coagulated and of suflicient-length to tie around the peripheral portion of the cover when on the flange, placing the closure in position 0108-- mgthe opening'withsaid peripheral portion extending along the flange, tying thewet"cord around the peripheral portion of the-closure, drying the cord, and then heatingthe'cord to render it hard. band of cellulose impregnatedmaterial sur rounding and shrunk towardsi saidvperiplillQA closure for a bottle comprising a ,cap -ghaving' a central portion to close the 'ning' of the bottle. a peripheral portion band-of material impregnated with aqueous cellulose solution adapted to surround the peripheral portion and press said portion against the neck of the bottle thereby to hold the cap in position closing the open- 12. A closure'for a bottle comprising a cap having a central portion to close the opening of the bottle and a peripheral portion to fit around the neck of the bottle, and aband of material impregnated with an aqueous cellulose solution adapted to contract around the peripheral portion to press said portion against the neck of the bottle,

7 thereby to hold the closure in position clos- "ing the opening.

13. A closure for a bottle comprising a cap having a central portion to close the opening of the bottle and a peripheral portion to extend from the central portion around and along the neck of the bottle, and a band of material adapted to surround said peripheral portion of the cap and impregnated with an aqueous cellulose solution, which may be rendered artially anhydrous and stiff in character rmly to hold said peripheral portion against the neck of the bottle to retain the cap in position on the bottle.

le'A closure for a bottle comprising a cap having a central portion to close the opening of the bottle and a peripheral portion to extend from the central portion around and along the neck of the bottle, and a band of material adapted to surround said peripheral portion of the cap to press said peripheral portion against the neck of the bottle, said band being impregnated with an aqueous cellulose solution which may be rendered partially anhydrous and non-excap having a central portion to close the opening of the bottle and a peripheral portion to fit around the neck of the bottle, and a band of material adapted to surround said peripheral portion of the cap to press said portion against the neck of the bottle, said band being of material impregnated with an aqueous cellulose solution which may be rendered partially anhydrous and horny in character so as to be unable to expand when wet to seal the closure in position closing the opening.

16. A closure For a bottle comprising a cap having a central portion to close. the opening of the bottle and a peripheral 'portion to fit around the neck of the bottle, and a band adapted tosurround said peripheral portion of the closure, said band being of material impregnated with an aqueous cellulose solution which may be contracted to press said portion against the neck of the bottle and then rendered partially anhydrous and horny in character so as to beunable to expand when wet to seal the'closure in position closing the opening.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of May, 1924.

' WALLACE l 1?, oonon. 

